On March 7th, 1952, Paramahansa Yogananda did not die a normal mortal death. He entered the state of mahasamadhi — the conscious, final exit from the body by a God-realized master.
And although Yogananda’s mahasamadhi had the outward appearance of human death, with elements of tragedy and glory, the deeper meaning was that of a liberated soul shedding its limited form.
That evening at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, he spoke of India and America, of unity among nations, and of God’s divine plan. He concluded by reciting lines from his poem “My India.” Then, lifting his gaze upward, he consciously withdrew his life force and left his body.
He explained that samadhi is the soul’s awakening into Cosmic Consciousness. Although he was already firmly established in that state, on that night he entered the final, permanent maha (great) samadhi beyond this mortal world.
In his extraordinary poem, itself titled “Samadhi,” he wrote:
“Vanished the veils of light and shade,
Lifted every vapor of sorrow…
Gone the dim sensory mirage.
Love, hate, health, disease, life, death,
Perished these false shadows on the screen of duality.”
Wrapped in poetic metaphor, he described this supernatural state from direct experience. Mahasamadhi is not an escape, but a transcendent victory over the false shadows of duality. He describes it as a full awakening beyond all separations:
“Present, past, future, no more for me,
But ever-present, all-flowing I, I, everywhere.”
If that event on March 7th were the whole story, it would be a magnificent and inspiring end of an incredible life. As devotees of the great Master however, what makes this anniversary so poignant is Yogananda’s promise that he would never leave our side.
In another poem, “When I Am Only a Dream,” he prepared us for this experience — when he would be beyond this world, yet continue to guide and bless us:
“And I will whisper to you through your conscience,
And I will reason with you through your reason,
And I will love through your love.
When you are able no longer to talk to me,
Read my Whispers of Eternity.
Eternally through that I will talk to you.
Unknown I will walk by your side
And guard you with invisible arms.”
This is the spiritual pact of a great Master with his beloved spiritual children. The guru and disciple are linked by an unbreakable bond of eternal love that transcends time, space, life, and death.
Our guru not only left us with this promise, but with the clear instruction for how to achieve samadhi for ourselves:
“By deeper, longer, thirsty, guru-given meditation
Comes this celestial samadhi.”
The door into that same realm of cosmic consciousness is through the Guru’s presence in meditation. He told his disciples that as long as they made a sincere effort, he would never let them down. What greater promise could there be?
The personality of Yogananda was charming: joyful, humorous, deeply spiritual, compassionate, sweet and kind. But the personality he once expressed outwardly is now an eternal presence, awaiting us in the silence of our soul.
At the conclusion of his life, and of his poem, he gave us the final picture of our own awakening in God together:
“When I am only a dream to you…
I will come to remind you that you too are naught
But a dream of my Heavenly Beloved…
And when you know you are a dream, as I know now,
We all will be ever awake in Him.”
Yogananda, not the person, but the liberated soul, is calling us to join him in eternity. Each day is a sacred opportunity to move closer to samadhi with the Guru and fulfill our soul’s destiny.
And just two days after the anniversary of Yogananda’s mahasamadhi comes March 9th — the day in 1936 when his own guru, Sri Yukteswar, entered mahasamadhi in Puri. The lineage of these great Masters is imbued in this sacred week: guru and disciple, united in samadhi, in this world and in eternity. Their divine light continues to shine through us, and through thousands of disciples seeking God, loving God, and carrying their mission onwards.
Among those present on March 7th, 1952, was a young disciple who would spend the next sixty years fulfilling his own unwavering devotion to the Masters and their mission: Swami Kriyananda. Personally blessed and trained by Yogananda, and present to witness his Guru’s mahasamadhi, he dedicated the rest of his life attuning to Yogananda’s guidance — serving his mission through creating spiritual communities, sharing his teachings and blessings, and radiating the same divine light and joy he had received. Through Kriyananda’s life of attunement and service, we see living example of Master’s presence marching on through the work of Ananda and sincere devotees all over the world.
The way to attune ourselves and receive the Guru’s eternal love and guidance is clear: ever deeper meditation, devotion, and seeking God. Then we will begin to experience, and finally to know, the same beautiful realization as Master:
“Eternity and I, one united ray.
A tiny bubble of laughter, I am become the sea of mirth itself.”
Awake in the divine dream together with our Guru, we will be united in the eternal presence of God’s infinite bliss.Join us for a special mahasamadhi meditation from 7–9am on Saturday, March 7 at the Ananda Portland Temple.
